76 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



attention to decoymen, who sometimes wring as many necks 

 as that in a day ! " 



From one thing to another we rambled on of birds, and 

 boats, and men, for there seemed no end to their reminiscences. 



" Did I know ' Cadger ' Brown ? " said " Strike." " I should 

 like to know who didn't ! There was one thing about him : 

 he was always merry, and if he'd got nothing but a crust and 

 a pipe of tobacco he didn't grumble. But I don't tell you 

 he didn't mind getting a good jint when it came in his way. 

 I and Bond were out early one morning and see 'Cadger' 

 coming from the marshes over the walls to his old boat, with 

 something tucked under his coat. 



" ' Got anything ? ' asked Mr. Bond. 



" * Only an old goose,' said " Cadger," grinning, ' an old 

 goose what was robbin' the poor hosses of their grass,' and 

 he showed it to us. 



"'//'j a tame one!' said Mr. Bond, laughing at the man's 

 audacity, and his ready tongue. 



" ' Never mind,' replied " Cadger," ' he'll eat all right, all the 

 same for that ! ' ' 



And " Cadger " went off with his goose, no one besides 

 Sharman and Bond ever being the wiser. 



Of such variety are the yarns of these men of iron nerves 

 and constitutions. They are keenly observant fellows, sturdy 

 of heart as of limb, quick to see a joke, slow to take offence, 

 self-reliant to a degree, and the majority of them are self- 

 respecting. And even their vices, what few they possess, are 

 manly. 



On the eastern bank of the River Bure, within a stone's 

 throw of Breydon, stands a big wooden shed known as the 

 Shrimpers' Shelter. On rough, stormy days these sturdy 

 shrimpers, Breydoners, and other waterside labourers 

 bronzed, hearty fellows, with the blood of vikings coursing 

 through their veins repair to this shed to gossip and spend 

 around a glowing stove their enforced hours of idleness, glad 

 to repair thither when tides are wrong and pockets are nearly 

 bare, rather than haunt the quayside inns. 



It occurred some years ago to a good old friend of mine, a 

 Mr. Flaxman, who is connected with the Congregationalists, to 



